Thursday, 28 January 2016

Indie spotlight: book awards as part of a marketing strategy

Indie spotlight is our monthly column on
self-publishing. This month our regular columnist, Siobhan Daiko, looks at
awards for which indie authors are eligible. This ties in nicely with the poll Asian
Books Blog is currently running, to find the book of the Lunar Year, and which pits
indie authors up against traditionally published ones. If you haven’t yet voted, you can find
details of the shortlist, and instructions on how to vote, by clicking here. But now: over to Siobhan…

Why enter your book for an award? Today’s
readers are inundated with choices; they tend to buy books from authors they
know already, or who’ve been recommended by friends, family, book clubs, social
media, or the traditional media. With hundreds of thousands of self-published
books hitting the virtual shelves every year, indie authors need to find ways
of standing out. A book that has won an award becomes instantly more visible
when people are browsing. An award sticker will definitely influence consumers
at the point-of-sale.

The writer who has won an award can say they
are an “award winning author”; this is a great endorsement that can create more
interest in them as a brand, leading to higher sales and even propelling them
into the bestseller charts. If a book has won an award, it gives credibility to
those five star reviews on Amazon. All-in-all, gaining an award should be a
central part of an indie author’s book marketing strategy.

The following awards are a selection of those
open to indie authors. Check the details carefully before deciding whether
entering is worth your while, in time, and effort. You will need to check your
book meets the eligibility criteria, and of course you will need to make sure you meet
the submission deadlines, which fall throughout the year.

An award’s inclusion on this list does not
represent a personal endorsement from me, or from Asian Books Blog. As ever on
the internet, be scam savvy. Even if you are not a science fiction writer, it
is worth checking out the Writers Beware page of SFWA, the Science Fiction
& Fantasy Writers of America, for its general advice on how writers can
avoid getting ripped-off, or succumbing to literary scams.